The Dutch twins

iitcp JFitcl;

Geographical Series

THE DUTCH TWINS PRIMER. Grade I.
THE DUTCH TWINS. Grade III.
THE ESKIMO TWINS. Grade II.
THE JAPANESE TWINS. Grade IV.
THE IRISH TWINS. Grade V.
THE MEXICAN TWINS. Grade VI.
THE BELGIAN TWINS. Grade VI.
THE FRENCH TWINS- Grade VII.

Historical Series

THE CAVE TWINS. Grade IV.

THE SPARTAN TWINS. Grades V-VI.

Each volume is illustrated by the author

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY
BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO

COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY LUCY FITCH PBRKINS
ALL, RIGHTS RESERVED

SUbtrtfAe

CAMBRIDGE . MASSACHUSETTS

other children

THE DUTCH TWINS

By Lucy Fitch Perkins

ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHOR

BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

£bc ttitoersibe press Cambn&rrr

COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY LUCY FITCH PERKINS
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION — KIT AND KAT .
I. THE DAY THEY WENT FISHING . .
II. MARKET DAY WITH FATHER . • .

III. MOTHER'S DAY . « ... . ,

IV. ONE SUNDAY . . ... .

V. THE DAY THEY DROVE THE MILK CART .

VI. THE DAY THEY GOT THEIR SKATES

5

5

27

55

85

117

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415688

THE DUTCH TWINS

KIT AND KAT

This is a picture of Kit and Kat. They are Twins,
and they live in Holland. Kit is the boy, and Kat
is the girl.

Of course their real names are not Kit and Kat
at all. Their real names are Christopher and Ka-
trina. But you can see for yourself that such long
names as that would never in the world fit such a
short pair of Twins. So the Twins1 Mother, Vrouw
Vedder, said,

" They cannot be called Christopher and Ka-
trina until they are four and a half feet high."

Now it takes a long time to grow four and a half
feet of Boy and Girl. You know, chickens and
puppies and colts and kittens always grow up
much faster than twins. Kit and Kat ate a great
many breakfasts and dinners and suppers, and
played a great many plays, and had a great many
happy days while they were growing up to their
names. I will tell you about some of them.

I

THE DAY THEY WENT FISHING

I

THE DAY THEY WENT FISHING

ONE summer morning, very early, Vrouw
Vedder opened the door of her little Dutch
kitchen and stepped out.

She looked across the road which ran by
the house, across the canal on the other
side, across the level green fields that lay
beyond, clear to the blue rim of the world,
where the sky touches the earth. The sky
was very blue ; and the great, round, shining
face of the sun was just peering over the
tops of the trees, as she looked out.

Vrouw Vedder listened. The roosters in
the barnyard were crowing, the ducks in the
canal were quacking, and all the little birds
in the fields were singing for joy. Vrouw
Vedder hummed a slow little tune of her
own, as she went back into her kitchen.

Kit and Kat were still asleep in their little
cupboard bed. She gave them each a kiss.
The Twins opened their eyes and sat up.

7

Kat," said Vrouw Vedder,
" the sun is up, the birds are all awake and
singing, and Grandfather is going fishing
to-day. If you will hurry, you may go
with him ! He is coming at six o'clock ; so
pop out of bed and get dressed. I will put
some lunch for you in the yellow basket,
and you may dig worms for bait in the gar
den. Only be sure not to step on the young
cabbages that Father planted."

Kit and Kat bounced out of bed in a min
ute. Their mother helped them put on their
clothes and new wooden shoes. Then she
gave them each a bowl of bread and milk
for their breakfast. They ate it sitting on
the kitchen doorstep.

8

This is a picture of Kit and Kat dig
ging worms. You see they did just as their
mother said, and did not step on the young
cabbages. They sat on them, instead. But
that was an accident.

Kit dug the worms, and Kat put them
into a basket, with some earth in it to make
them feel at home.

When Grandfather came, he brought a
large fishing-rod for himself and two little
ones for the Twins. There was a little hook
on the end of each line.

Vrouw Vedder kissed Kit and Kat good
bye.

11 Mind Grandfather, and don't fall into
the water/* she said.

9

Grandfather and the Twins started off
together down the long road beside the
canal.

The house where the Twins lived was
right beside the canal. Their father was a
gardener, and his beautiful rows of cab
bages and beets and onions stretched in
.long lines across the level fields by' the
roadside.

Grandfather lived in a large town, a lit
tle way beyond the farm where the Twins
lived. He did not often have a holiday, be
cause he carried milk to the doors of the
people in the town, every morning early.
Sometime I will tell you how he did it;
but I must not tell you now, because if I
do, I can't tell you about their going fishing.

This morning, Grandfather carried his
rod and the lunch-basket. Kit and Kat car
ried the basket of worms between them,
and their rods over their shoulders, and
they were all three very happy.

They walked along ever so far, beside
the canal. Then they turned to the left and

ii

walked along a path that ran from the canal
across the green fields to what looked like
a hill.

But it was n't a hill at all, really, because
there are n't any hills in Holland. It was a
long, long wall of earth, very high — oh, as
high as a house, or even higher I And it
had sloping sides.

There is such a wall of earth all around
the country of Holland, where the Twins
live. There has to be a wall, because the
sea is higher than the land. If there were
no walls to shut out the sea, the whole coun
try would be covered with water; and if
that were so, then there wouldn't be any
Holland, or any Holland Twins, or any
story. So you see it was very lucky for
the Twins that the wall was there. They
called it a dyke.

Grandfather and Kit and Kat climbed the
dyke. When they reached the top, they sat
down a few minutes to rest and look at the
great blue sea. Grandfather sat in the mid
dle, with Kit on one side, and Kat on the

12

other; and the basket of worms and the
basket of lunch were there, too.

They saw a great ship sail slowly by,
making a cloud of smoke.

" Where do the ships go, Grandfather ? "
asked Kit.

" To America, and England, and China,
and all over the world," said Grandfather.

" Why ? " asked Kat. Kat almost always
said "Why?" and when she did n't, Kit
did.

" To take flax and linen from the mills

13

of Holland to make dresses for little girls
in other countries," said Grandfather.

-Is that all?" asked Kit.

" They take cheese and herring, bulbs and
butter, and lots of other things besides, and
bring back to us wheat and meat and all
sorts of good things from the lands across
the sea."

" I think I '11 be a sea captain when I 'm
big," said Kit.

-So will I," said Kat.

11 Girls can't," said Kit.

But Grandfather shook his head and said :

" You can't tell what a girl may be by
the time she 's four feet and a half high and
is called Katrina. There 's no telling what
girls will do anyway. But, children, if we
stay here we shall not catch any fish."

So they went down the other side of the
dyke and out onto a little pier that ran from
the sandy beach into the water.

Grandfather showed them how to bait
their hooks. Kit baited Kat's for her, be
cause Kat said it made her all wriggly in-

side to do it. She did not like it. Neither
did the worm I

They all sat down on the end of the pier.
Grandfather sat on the very end and let his
wooden shoes hang down over the water ;
but he made Kit and Kat sit with their feet
stuck straight out in front of them, so they
just reached to the edge, — " So you can't
fall in," said Grandfather.

They dropped their hooks into the water
and sat very still, waiting for a bite. The
sun climbed higher and higher in the sky,
and it grew hotter and hotter on the pier. The
flies tickled Kat's nose and made her sneeze.

14 Keep still, can't you ? " said Kit crossly.
" You '11 scare the fish. Girls don't know
how to fish, anyway.'1

Pretty soon Kat felt a queer little jerk on
her line. She was perfectly sure she did.

Kat squealed and jerked her rod. She
jerked it so hard that one foot flew right
up in the air, and one of her new wooden
shoes went — splash — right into the water 1

But that was n't the worst of it I Before
16

you could say Jack Robinson, Kat' s hook
flew around and caught in Kit's clothes and
pricked him.

Kit jumped and said " Ow ! " And then

— no one could ever tell how it happened

— there was Kit in the water, too, splash
ing like a young whale, with Kat's hook
still holding fast to his clothes in the back !

Grandfather jumped then, too, you may
be sure. He caught hold of Kat's rod and

18

pulled hard and called out, " Steady there,
steady ! "

And in one minute there was Kit in the
shallow water beside the pier, puffing and
blowing like a grampus !

Grandfather reached down and pulled him
up. I9

When Kit was safely on the pier, Kat
threw her arms around his neck, though
the water was running down in streams
from his hair and eyes and ears.

"O Kit," she said, " I truly thought it
was a fish on my line when I jumped ! "

"Just like a g-g-girl," said Kit. "They
don't know how to f-f-fish. ' ' You see his teeth
were chattering, because the water was cold.

"Well, anyway," said Kat, "I caught
more than you did. I caught you ! "

Then Kat thought of something else
She shook her finger at Kit.

11 O Kit," she said, " Mother told you not
to fall into the water ! "

" T-t-twas all your fault," roared Kit.
" Y-y-you began it ! Anyway, where is
your new wooden shoe ? "

" Where are both of yours ? " screamed
Kat.

Sure enough, where were they ? No one
had thought about shoes, because they were
thinking so hard about Kit.

They ran to the end of the pier and
looked. There was Kat's shoe sailing away
toward America like a little boat ! Kit's
were still bobbing about in the water near
the pier.

" Oh ! Oh ! Oh ! " shrieked Kat ; but the
tide was going out and carrying her shoe
farther away every minute. They could not
get it ; but Grandfather reached down with
his rod and fished out both of Kit's shoes.
Then Kat took off her other one and her
stockings, and they all three went back to
the beach.

Grandfather and Kat covered Kit up with

21

sand to keep him warm while his clothes
were drying. Then Grandfather stuck the
Twins' fish-poles up in the sand and tied
the lines together for a clothes-line, and
hung Kit's clothes up on it, and Kat put
their three wooden shoes in a row beside
Kit.

Then they ate their luncheon of bread
and butter, cheese, and milk, with some rad
ishes from Father's garden. It tasted very
good, even if it was sandy. After lunch
Grandfather said,

11

" It will never do to go home without

any fish at all."

So by and by he went back to the pier
and caught one while the Twins played in
the sand. He put it in the lunch-basket to
carry home.

Kat brought shells and pebbles to Kit,
because he had to stay covered up in the
sand, and Kit built a play dyke all around
himself with them, and Kat dug a canal out
side the dyke. Then she made sand-pies
in clam-shells and set them in a row in the
sun to bake.

They played until the shadow of the dyke
grew very long across the sandy beach,
and then Grandfather said it was time to
go home.

He helped Kit dress, but Kit's clothes
were still a little wet in the thick parts.
And Kat had to go barefooted and carry
her one wooden shoe.

They climbed the dyke and crossed the
fields, and walked along the road by the
canal. The road shone, like a strip of yel-

low ribbon across the green field. They
walked quite slowly, for they were tired
and sleepy.

By and by Kit said, " I see our house " ;
and Kat said, " I see Mother at the gate."

Grandfather gave the fish he caught to
Kit and Kat, and Vrouw Vedder cooked it
for their supper ; and though it was not a
very big fish, they all had some.

Grandfather must have told Vrouw Ved
der something about what had happened ;
for that night, when she put Kit to bed, she
felt of his clothes carefully - - but she did n't
say a word about their being damp. And
she said to Kat: " To-morrow we will see
the shoemaker and have him make you an
other shoe."

Then Kit and Kat hugged her and said
good-night, and popped off to sleep before
you could wink your eyes.

II

MARKET DAY WITH FATHER

II

MARKET DAY WITH FATHER

ONE afternoon Kit and Kat were playing
around the kitchen doorstep, while their
Mother sat on a bench by the door, peel
ing some onions for supper. It was not yet
supper-time, but Vrouw Vedder was always
ahead of the clock with the work.

Kit and Kat had a pan of water and were
teaching their ducklings to swim. They
each had one little fat duckling of their
very own. The ducklings squawked when
Kit lifted them over the edge of the pan
into the water.

11 Don't do that, Kit," said Kat. "The
ducklings don't like it. You did n't like it
when you fell into the water, did you ? "

11 But I 'm not a duck," said Kit.

"Well, anyway, they're tired and want
to go to their mother," said Kat " Let 's

29

do something else! Til tell you what I Let's
go out to the garden and help Father get
the boat loaded for market"

4 'All right," said Kit. "May we, Mo
ther?"

"Yes," said Vrouw Vedder ; "and you
may ask Father if he will take you to mar
ket with him to-morrow if it's fair. Tell
him I said you could ask."

" Oh, goody, goody ! " said Kit and Kat,
both at once ; and they ran as fast as their
wooden shoes would take them out into
the garden.

They found their father cutting cabbages
and gathering them into piles. He was stop
ping to light his pipe, when they reached
him.

" O Father ! " said Kit and Kat both to
gether. " May we go on the boat to mar
ket with you to-morrow morning ? Mothei
said we might ask ! "

Father Vedder blew two puffs from his
pipe without answering.

" We '11 help you load the boat," said Kit

"Yes," said Kat, " I can carry a cab
bage."

" I can carry two," said Kit. " We '11 both
be good," said Kat.

" Very well," said Father, at last " We '11
see how you work ! And to-morrow morn
ing, if it 's fair, I '11 see ! But you must go to
bed early to-night, because you '11 have to
get up very early in the morning, if you go

3*

with me 1 Now you each take a cabbage
and run along."

Father Vedder went back to his work.

Kit and Kat ran to the cabbage-pile. Kat
took one, and Kit took two - -just to show
that he could.

" When Father says 'I '11 see/ he always
means ' yes/ " Kat said to Kit.

Perhaps it seems queer to you that they
should go to market in a boat, but it did n't
seem queer at all to the Twins.

You see, in Holland there are a great
many canals. They cross the fields like
roadways of water, and that is what they
really are. Little canals open into big ones,
and big ones go clear to the sea.

It is very easy for farmers to load their
vegetables for market right on a boat. They
can pull the boat out into the big canal, and
then away they go to sell their produce in
the town.

The canals flow through the towns, too,
and make water streets, where boats go up
and down as carriages go here.

33

The Twins and their father worked like
beavers, washing the vegetables and pack
ing them in baskets, until their good old
boat was filled with cabbages and onions
and beets and carrots and all sorts of good
things to eat.

By that time it was nearly dark, and they
were all three very hungry ; so they went
home.

34

They found that Mother Vedder had made
buttermilk porridge for supper. The Twins
loved buttermilk porridge. They each ate
three bowls of it, and then their mother put
them to bed.

This is a picture of the bed I It opened

35

like a cupboard right into the kitchen, and
it was like going to bed on a shelf in the
pantry.

The very next thing the Twins knew, it
was morning, and there was Vrouw Vedder
calling to them.

"It's market day, and the sun is almost
up. Come Kit and Kat, if you want to go
with Father," she said.

The Twins bounced out like two rubber
balls. They ate some breakfast and then ran
to the boat.

Father was there before them. He helped
them into the boat and put them both on
one seat, and told them to sit still. Then he
got in and took the pole and pushed off.

Vrouw Vedder stood on the canal bank to
see them pass.

"Be good children; mind Father, and
don't get lost," she called after them.

Kit and Kat were very busy all the way
to town, looking at the things to be seen on
each side of the canal.

It was so early in the morning that the
36

grass was all shiny with dew. Black and
white cows were eating the rich green grass,
and a few laborers were already in the
fields.

They passed little groups of farm build
ings, their red-tiled roofs shining in the
morning sun; and the windmills threw long,
long shadows across the fields.

The blue blossoms of the flax nodded to
them from the canal bank; and once they
saw a stork fly over a mossy green roof, to
her nest on the chimney, with a frog in her
mouth.

They went under bridges and by little
canals that opened into the main canal. They
passed so close to some of the houses that
Kit and Kat could see the white curtains
blowing in the windows, and the pots of red
geraniums standing on the sill. In one house
the family waved their hands to Kit and Kat
from the breakfast table, and a little farther
on they passed a woman who was washing
clothes in the canal. Other boats filled
with vegetables and flowers of all colors
passed them. And they were going to
market too. Only no other boat had twins
in it.

"Good day, neighbor Vedder," one man
called out. " Are you taking a pair of fat pigs
to market?"

By and by they came to the town. There
were a great many boats in the canal here,
and people calling back and forth to each
other from them.

Kit and Kat saw a boat that the Cap
tain's family lived in, It was like a floating
house.

38

The Twins thought it must be grand to
live on a boat like that, just going about
from town to town, seeing new sights every
day.

"We should never have to go to school
at all," said Kit.

They wished their own boat were big
enough to move about in; but Father told

39

them they must sit very, very still all ' the
time.

There were houses on each side of the
canal, in the town, and people were clatter
ing along over the pavement in their wooden
shoes.

The market-place was an open square in
the middle of the town. It had little booths
and stalls all about it. The farmers brought
their fresh vegetables and flowers, or what
ever they had to sell, into these stalls, and
then sat there waiting for customers.

Kit and Kat helped their father to unload
the boat. Then they sat down on a box, and
Father gave them each some bread and
cheese to eat; for they were hungry again.
They put the cheese between slices of
bread and took bites, while they looked
about.

Soon there were a good many people in
the square. Most of them were women with
market baskets on their arms. They went to
the different stalls to see what they would •
buy for dinner.

A large woman with a big basket on her
arm came along to the stall where Kit and
Kat were sitting.

" Bless my heart!" she said. "Are you
twins?"

"Yes, Ma' am," said Kit and Kat. And Kat
said, "We 're five years old."

"O my soul!" said the large woman.
" So you are ! What are your names?"

" Christopher and Katrina, but they call
us Kit and Kat for short." It was Kat who
said this. And Kit said,

" When we are four feet and a half high,
we are going to be called Christopher and
Katrina."

" Well, well, well ! " said the large woman.
" So you are ! Now my name is Vrouw Van
der Kloot. Are you helping Father? "

"Yes," said the Twins. " We 're going to
help him sell things."

" Then you may sell me a cabbage and
ten onions," said Vrouw Van der Kloot.

42

Father Vedder's eyes twinkled, and he
smoked his pipe. Kit got a cabbage for the
Vrouw.

" You can get the ten onions," he said to
Kat. You see, really Kit could n't count ten
and be sure of it. So he asked Kat to do it.

Kat was n't afraid. She took out a little
pile of onions in a measure, and said to Vrouw
Van der Kloot,

"Is that ten? "

Then Vrouw Van der Kloot counted them
with Kat, very carefully. There were eleven,
and so she gave back one. Then she gave
Kat the money for the onions, and Kit the
money for the cabbage.

Father Vedder said,

" Now Kit and Kat, by and by, when you
get hungry again, you can go over to Vrouw
Van der Kloot' s stall and buy something
from her. She keeps the sweetie shop."

"Oh! Oh!" cried Kit and Kat. "We're
hungry yet! Can't we go now?"

"No, not now," said Father. "We must
do some work first."

43

The Twins helped Father Vedder a long
time. They learned to count ten and to do
several other things. Then their father gave
them the money for the cabbage and the ten
onions they had sold to Vrouw Van der
Kloot, and said,

"You may walk around the market and
look in all the stalls, and buy the thing you
like best that costs just two cents. Then
come back here to me."

44

Kit and Kat set forth on their travels, to
see the world. They each held the money
tightly shut in one hand, and with the other
hand they held on to each other.

"The world is very large," said Kit and
Kat.

They saw all sorts of strange things in
the market. There were tables piled high
with flowers. There was a stall full of birds
in cages, singing away with all their might.
One cage had five little birds in it, sitting in
a row.

"O Kit/' cried Kat, "let's buy the
birds!"

They asked the woman if the birds cost
two cents, and she said,

"No, my angels; they cost fifty cents."

. You see, now that the Twins could count
ten, they knew they could n't get the birds
for two cents when they cost fifty. So they
went to the next place.

There, there were chickens and ducks for
sale. But the Twins had plenty of those at
home. There were stalls and stalls of veg-

etables just like Father's, and there were
booths where meat and fish and wood and
peat were sold. But the Twins could n't find
anything they wanted that cost exactly two
cents.

At last, what should they see but Vrouw
Van der Kloofs fat face smiling at them from
a stall just full of cakes and cookies and
bread, and chocolate, and honey cakes, and
goodies of all kinds.

The Twins held up their money.

There on the counter was a whole row
of St. Nicholas dolls with currant eyes, and
they knew at once that there was nothing
else in all the market they should like so
much!

"Do these cost two cents apiece, dear
Vrouw Van der Kloot?" asked Kat.

" No/' said Vrouw Van der Kloot ; "they
cost one cent apiece."

The Twins were discouraged.

" I don't believe there 's a single thing in
this whole market that costs just two cents,"
said Kat.

46

"Keep still!" said Kit. "Let me think/'

They sat down on the curb. Kat kept still,
and Kit took hold of his head with both hands
and thought hard. He thought so hard that
he scowled all over his forehead 1

"I tell you what it is, Kat," he said at
last. " If those St. Nicholas dolls cost one
cent apiece, I think we could get two of
them for two cents."

"O Kit," said Kat, "how splendidly you
can think 1 Does it hurt you much ? Let 's
ask Vrouw Van der Kloot"

48

They went back to the good Vrouw, who
was selling some coffee bread to a woman
with a basket.

11 0 Vrouw Van der Kloot," said Kat,
"Kit says that if those St. Nicholas
dolls cost one cent apiece, he thinks we
could get two for two cents. Do you think
so?"

"Of course you can," said Vrouw Van
der Kloot; and she winked at the lady with
the bread.

"But you 've got two cents, and I Vegot
two," said Kat to Kit. "If you should get
two St. Nicholas dolls, why, I should have
my two cents left; should n't I? Oh! dear, it
won't come out right anyway! "

"Let me think some more," said Kit;
and when he had thought some more, he
said,

"I'll tell you what let's! You get two
with your two cents, and I '11 get two
with mine! And I '11 give my other one to
Mother and you can give your other one to
Father 1"

49

"That's just what we'll do," said Kat.

They went back to Vrouw Van der
Kloot.

" We '11 take four dolls," said Kat.

"Well, well, well!" said the Vrouw. "So
you've figured it all out, have you?" And
she counted out the dolls — "One for Kit,
and one for Kat, and one for Father, and
one for Mother, and an extra one for good
measure!"

"O Kit, she's given us one more!" said
Kat. " Let 's eat it right now ! Thank you,
dear Vrouw Van der Kloot."

So they ate up the one more then and
there, beginning with the feet. Kit bit one
off, and Kat bit the other; and they took
turns until the St. Nicholas doll was all
gone.

Then they took the four others, said good
bye to the good Vrouw, and went back to
Father's stall. They found that Father had
sold all his things and was ready to go
home.

They carried their empty baskets back

to the boat, and soon were on their way
home. The Twins sat on one seat, holding
tight to their dolls, which were growing
rather sticky.

The boat was so light that they went
home from market much more quickly than
they had come, and it did not seem long
before they saw their own house. There it
was, with its mossy roof half hidden among
the trees, and Vrouw Vedder waiting for
them at the gate.

Si

Dinner was all ready, and the Twins set
the four St. Nicholas dolls in a row, in the
middle of the table.

" There 's one for Father, and one for
Mother, and one for Kat, and one for me,"
said Kit.

"O Mother," said Kat, " Kit can think 1
He thought just how many dolls he could
buy when they were one for one cent I Is n't
it fine that he can do that ? "

" You 've learned a great deal at the mar
ket," said Vrouw Vedder. But Kit did n't say
a word. He just looked proud and pleased
and put his hands in his pockets.

"By and by, when you are four and a
half feet high and are called Christopher,
you can go with Father every time," said
Vrouw Vedder.

" I can think a little bit, too," said Kat
"Can't I go?"

"No," said Vrouw Vedder. "Girls
shouldn't think much. It isn't good for
them. Leave thinking to the men. You
can stay at home and help me."

Ill

MOTHER'S DAY

Ill

MOTHER'S DAY

, "YESTERDAY was a very long day," said
Vrouw Vedder on the morning after Mar
ket Day. "You were gone such a long
time."

Kat gave her mother a great hug.

"We '11 stay with you all day to
day, Mother," she said. "Won't we,
Kit?"

"Yes," said Kit; and he hugged her
too.

"And we '11 help you just as much as
we helped Father yesterday. Won't we,
Kit?"

"More," said Kit.

" I should n't wonder ! " said Father.

" I shall be glad of help," said Vrouw
Vedder, " because Grandma is coming, and
I want everything to be very clean and tidy

57

when she comes. I 'm going first to the pas
ture to milk the cow. You can go with me
and keep the flies away. That will be a great
help."

Vrouw Vedder put a yoke across her
shoulders, with hooks hanging from each
end of it. Then she hung a large pail on
one of the hooks, and a brass milk can on
the other. She gave Kat a little pail to carry,
and Kit took some switches from the wil
low tree in the yard, with which to drive
away the flies. Then they all three started
down the road to the pasture.

Pretty soon they came to a little bridge
over the canal, which they had to cross.

" Oh, dear," said Kat, looking down at the
water, "I'm scared!" You see, there was
no railing at all to take hold of, and the
bridge was quite narrow.

-Ho! 'Fraidy cat!" said Kit. 'Til go
first and show you how."

-And I '11 walk behind you," said Vrouw
Vedder.

Kat walked very slowly and held on hard
58

;

to her pail, and so she got over the bridge
safely.

"When I'm four feet and a half high,
I 'm going to jump over the canal on a jump
ing pole," said Kit.

"O how brave you are!" said Kat. "I
should be scared. And besides I 'm afraid I
should drop my shoes in the water."

59

"Well, of course/' said Kit, "boys can
do a great many things that girls can't
do."

When they reached the pasture, there was
Mevrouw Holstein waiting for them. Me-
vrouw Holstein was the cow's name. Kit
and Kat named her.

Vrouw Vedder tucked up her skirts —
and that was quite a task, for she wore a
great many of them — and sat down on a lit
tle stool. Kit and Kat stood beside her and
waved their willow wands and said " Shoo ! "
to the flies ; and Vrouw Vedder began to
milk.

Mevrouw Holstein had eaten so much of
the green rr ^adow grass that Vrouw Vedder
filled both ne big pail and the brass can, and
the little ^ail too, with rich milk.

" I sh-ill have milk enough to make butter
and cheese," said Vrouw Vedder. " There
are no cows like our Dutch cows in all the
world, I believe."

"O Mother, are you going to churn to
day?" asked Kat.

60

"Yes/* said the Vrouw, "I have cream
enough at home to make a good roll of but
ter, and you may help me if you will be very
careful and work steadily."

" I will be very steady," said Kat. "I'm
big enough now to learn."

"All Dutch girls must know how to make
good butter and cheese," said Yrouw Ved-
der.

"And boys can drink the buttermilk," said
Kit.

"I '11 drink some too," said Kat/*.

"There '11 be plenty for both," sa!H their

\-\
mother.

When she had finished milking, Vrouw
Vedder shook out her skirts, put the yoke
across her shoulders aga/iii and lifted the large
pail of milk. She nfthg it on one of the hooks
and the brass mil1'/ can on the other. Kat
took the small pail, and they started back
home. The rriilk was quite heavy, so they
walked slowly.

They had crossed the bridge and were just
turning down the road, when what should

they see but their old goose and gander
walking along the road, followed by six little
goslings !

"O Mother, Mother," screamed Kat;
"there^ is the old goose that we haven't
seen ffar so long! She has stolen her nest
and natched out six little geese all her
own ! They are taking them to the canal to

swim."

" Quick, Kit, quick ! " said Vrouw Vedder.
" Don't let them go into the canal ! We must
drive them home."

Kit ran boldly forward in front of them,
and Kat ran too. She spilled some of the
milk ; but she was in such a hurry that she
never knew it until afterwards, when she
found some in her wooden shoes 1

" K-s-s-s!" said the old goose; and she
ran straight for the Twins with her mouth
open and her wings spread ! The old ganddr
ran at them too. I can't begin/to ? tell you
how scared Kat was then I Slit stood right
still and screamed.

Kit was scared too; but he stood by Kat,
like a brave boy, and shook his willow
switches at the geese, and shouted " Shoo !
Shoo ! " just as he did at the flies.

Vrouw Vedder set her pails down in the
road and came up behind, flapping her apron.
Then the old goose and the gander and all
the little goslings started slowly along the
road for home, saying cross words in Goose
talk all the way !

Father Vedder was working in the gar
den, when the procession came down the
road. First came the geese, looking very

indignant, and the goslings. Then came Kit
with the leaves all whipped off his willow
switches. Then came Kat with her pail ;
and, last of all, Vrouw Vedder and the
milk!

When the new family of geese had been
taken care of, and the fresh milk had been
put away to cool, Vrouw Vedder got out
her churn and scalded it well. Then she put
in her cream, and put the cover down over
the handle of the dasher.

" Now, Kit and Kat, you may take turns,"
she said, "and see which one of you can
bring the butter, but be sure you work the
dasher very evenly or the butter will not be
good/'

" Me first ! " said Kat, and she began. Kit
sat on a little stool and watched for the
butter.

Kat worked the dasher up and down, up
and down. The cream splashed and splashed
inside the churn, and a little white ring of
spatters came up around the dasher.

Kat worked until her arms ached.
66

"Now it's my turn," said Kit. Then he
took the dasher, and the cream splashed and
splashed for quite a long time; but still the
butter did not come.

"Ho!" said Kat. "You're nothing but
a boy. Of course you don't know how to
churn. Let me try." And she took her turn.

Dash! Splash! Splash, dash! She
worked away; and very soon, around the

67

dasher, there was a ring of little specks of
butter.

" Come, butter, come ! Come, butter, come !
Some for a honey cake, and some for a bun/'

she sang in time to the dasher; and truly,
when Vrouw Vedder opened the churn,
there was a large cake of yellow butter !

Vrouw Vedder took out the butter and
worked it into a nice roll. Then she gave
each of the Twins a cup of buttermilk to
drink.

While the Twins drank the buttermilk,
their mother washed the churn and put it
away. When she was all through, it was
still quite early in the morning, because they
had gotten up with the sun.

"Now we must clean the house," she
said.

So she got out her scrubbing-brushes,
and mops, and pails, and dusters, and began.

First she shook out the pillows of the
best bed, that nobody ever slept in, and
pushed back the curtains so that the em-

68

broidered coverlet could be seen. Then
she put the other beds in order and drew
the curtains in front of them.

She dusted the linen press and left it open
just a little, so that her beautiful rolls of
white linen, tied with ribbons, would
show. Kat dusted the chairs, and Kit car-

69

ried the big brass jugs outside the kitchen
door to be polished.

Then they all three rubbed and scoured
and polished them until they shone like the

sun.

"Now it is time to cook the dinner/' said
Vrouw Vedder. "We will have pork and
potatoes and some cabbage. Kit, run to the
garden and bring a cabbage; and Kat, you
may get the fire ready to cook it, when Kit
brings it in."

«

Kat went to the stove — but it was such
a funny stove ! It was n't a stove at all,
really.

There was a sort of table built up against
the chimney. It was all covered with pretty
blue tiles, with pictures of boats on them.
Over this table, there was a shelf, like a
mantel shelf. There were plates on it, and
from the bottom of the shelf hung some
chains with hooks on them. The coals were
right out on the little table.

Kat took the bellows and — puff, puff,
puff 1 — made the coals burn brighter. She
peeped in the kettle to see that there was
water in it. Then she put some more char
coal on the fire. ; ;

Kit brought in the cabbage, and Vrouw
Vedder cut it up and put it into the pot of
water hanging over the fire. She put the
pork and potatoes in too.

In a little while the pot was bubbling away
merrily ; and Father Vedder, who was in the
garden, sniffed the air and said,

"I know what we are going to have for
dinner."

While the pot boiled, Vrouw Vedder
scrubbed the floor and wiped the window.

7*

Then she took her brooms and scrubbing-
brush outside.

She scrubbed the door and the outside of
the house. She scrubbed the little pig with
soap. The little pig squealed, because she
got some soap in its eyes. She scrubbed
the steps — and even the trunk of the pop
lar tree in the yard ! She scrubbed every
thing in sight, except Father Vedder and
the Twins! By and by she came to the
door and called,

" Come to dinner! Only be sure to leave
your wooden shoes outside, when you come
into my clean kitchen."

Here are the shoes, just as they left them,
all in a row. And as it was Saturday, the
shoes were scrubbed too, that night.

When the dinner was cleared away, Vrouw
Vedder said to the Twins,

73

"It is almost time for Grandmother to
come. Let 's walk out to meet her."

They walked clear to the edge of the town
before they saw her coming. They walked
on top of the dyke, so they could look right
down into the street, and see all the houses
in a row. Grandmother was coming up the
street with a basket on her arm.

74

"What do you think is in that basket ?"
Vrouw Vedder asked the Twins.

"Honey cake!" said Kit; and Kat said,
"Candy!"

And Kit and Kat were both right. There
was a large honey cake and anise candies,
and some currant buns besides !

Grandmother let them peep in and see.
They were very polite and did not ask for any
— Vrouw Vedder was proud of the Twins'
good manners. Grandmother said,

41 This afternoon, when we have tea, you
shall have some."

" I'm glad I ate such a lot of dinner," said
Kit to Kat, as they walked along; " or else
I 'd just have to have a bun this minute! "

" Yes," said Kat, "it's much easier to be
polite when you aren't hungry."

When they got home, Kit aiid, Kat took
their Grandmother to see the new goslings,
and to see the ducklings too. And Vrou w Ved
der showed her the butter that Kit and Kat
had helped to churn; and Grandmother said,

" My, my ! What helpers they are getting
to be!" Thenshesaid, " How clean the house
is!" and then, "How the brasses shine!"

" Yes," said Vrouw Vedder ; " the Twins
helped me make everything clean and tidy
to show to you."

" I guess it 's time for honey cake," said
Grandmother.

Then Vrouw Vedder stirred up the fire
again and boiled the kettle and made tea.
She took down her best china cups and put
them out on the round table.

76

Then Grandmother opened her basket
and took out the honey cake and buns and
the candy ; and Vrouw Vedder brought out
her fresh butter.

"I can't stay polite much longer," said
Kit to Kat.

Grandmother gave them each a thin slice
of honey cake and a bun ; and Vrouw Ved
der spread some of the butter on the buns
• — and oh, how good they were I

77

41 Some for a honey cake,
And some for a bun,"

sang Kat. It did n't take the Twins long to
finish them.

When they had drunk their tea, Grand
mother brought out her knitting, and Mother
Vedder began to spin.

" How many rolls of linen have you ready
for Kat when she marries?'' Grandmother
asked.

" I try to make at least one roll each year ;
so she has four now and I am working on
the fifth one," said Vrouw Vedder. " She
shall be as well-to-do as any farmer's daugh
ter near here, when she marries. See, this
is the last one/' and Vrouw Vedder took
from the press a roll of beautiful white linen
tied with blue ribbons.

"Is that for me, Mother?" asked Kat.

* ' Yes, ' ' said Vrouw Vedder. ' ' When you
marry, we shall have a fine press full of linen
for you."

"Is n't Kit going to have some too?"
asked Kat.

78

Grandmother laughed.

"The mother of the little girl who will
some day marry Kit, is working now on her
linen, no doubt; so Kit won't need any of
yours."

The Twins looked very solemn and went
out into the yard. They sat down on the bench
by the kitchen door together. Then Katsaid,

"Kit, do you s'pose we Ve got to be
married?"

79

" It looks like it," said Kit.

Things seemed very dark indeed to the
Twins.

''Well/' said Kat, " I just tell you I'm
riot going to do it. I ^ni going to stay at
home with Mother apd Father, and you and
the ducks and everything!"

" What will they do with the linen then?"
said Kit. "I guess you '11 have to be mar-

ried¥// •- • : -

Kat began to cry.

'11 just go and ask Mother," she said,
go with you," said Kit. " I don't
to any more than you do."

po the Twins got down from the bench

id went into the kitchen where Grand-
tother and Vrouw Vedder were.

Their mother was spinning flax to make
linen thread.

" Mother," said the Twins, "will you please
excuse us from being married."

"O my soul!" said Vrouw Vedder. She
seemed surprised.

"We don't want to at all," said Kat.
80

"We 'd rather stay with you."

"You shan't be married until after you
are four feet and a half high and are called
Christopher and Katrina anyway," said
Vrouw Vedder. "I promise you that."

The Twins were much relieved. They
went out and fed their ducklings. They felt
so much better that they gave them an extra

81

handful of grain, and .they carried a bun to
Father Vedder, who was hoeing in the far
thest corner of the garden. He ate it, lean
ing on his hoe.

When they went back to the house, it
was late in the afternoon. Grandmother was
rolling up her knitting.

"I must go home to Grandfather," she
said. "He '11 be wanting his supper."

The Twins walked down the road as
far as the first bridge with Grandmother.
There she kissed them good-bye and sent
them home.

When their mother put them to bed that
night, Kat said,

82

"Has this been a short day, Mother ?"
"Oh, very short!" said Vrouw Vedder,

" because you helped me so much/1

Then she kissed them good-night and

went out to feed the pigs, and shut up the

chickens for the night.

When she was gone, Kit said,

" I don't see how they got along before

we came. We help so much ! "

"No,"said Kat; " I don't think — " But

what she didn't think, no one will ever

know, because just then she popped off to

sleep.

\U-t--

IV

ONE SUNDAY

IV

ONE SUNDAY

ONE Sunday morning in early fall, Kit and
Kat woke up and peeped out from their
cupboard bed to see what was going on in
the world.

The sun was shining through the little
panes of the kitchen window, making square
patches of light on the floor. The kettle was
singing on the fire, and Vrouw Vedder was
already putting away the breakfast things.

Father Vedder was lighting his pipe with
a coal from the fire. He had on his black
Sunday clothes, all ready for church. Father
Vedder did not look at Kit and Kat at all.
He just puffed away at his pipe and said to
himself,

" If there are any Twins anywhere that
want to go to church with me, they 'd better
get dressed and eat their breakfasts."

Kit and Kat tumbled out of the cupboard
at once.

8?

Vrouw Vedder came to help them dress.

I can't tell you how many petticoats she
put on Kat, but it was ever so many. And
over them all she put a skirt of plaid. There
was a waist of a different color, and over
that a kerchief with bright red roses on it.
And over the skirt she put a new, clean
apron.

Kit was dressed very splendidly too. He
had full baggy trousers of velveteen that
reached to his ankles, and a jacket that but
toned with big silver buttons. His trousers
had pockets in them.

Kit and Kat both wore stockings, which
Vrouw Vedder had knit, and their best shoes
of stout leather.

When they were all dressed, Vrouw Ved
der stood them up side by side and had
them turn around slowly to be sure they
were all right.

" Now see that you behave well in meet
ing," she said. "Sit up straight. Look at
the Dominie, and do not whisper."

" Yes, Mother," said Kit and Kat.
88

Then she tied a big apron over each of
them and gave them each a bowl of bread
and milk. While they were eating it, Father
Vedder went out and looked at the pigs,
and chickens, and ducks, and geese, and
smoked his pipe.

When he came in, Kit and Kat were quite
ready. Vrouw Vedder had tied on Kat's lit
tle white-winged cap, and put Kit's hat on.
She kissed them good-bye, and they were
off — one on each side of Father Vedder,
holding tight to his hands.

Mother Vedder looked after them proudly,
from the doorway. She did not go to church
that day.

They walked slowly' along the roadway
in the bright sunshine. Many of their neigh
bors and friends, all dressed in their best,
were walking to church, too.

Father Vedder and Kit and Kat went a
little out of their way, in order to pass a large
windmill that was swinging its arms around
-and creaking out a kind of sleepy windmill
song. This is the song it seemed to sing : —

Around, and around, and around, I go,
Sometimes fast and sometimes slow.
I pump the water and grind the grain,
The marshy fields of the Lowlands, drain.
I harness the wind to turn my mill,
Around, and around, and around with a will !

Perhaps it was listening to the windmill

song that made Kat say,

"Why do we have windmills, father?"
Kit and Kat said "Why?" every few

steps on that walk. You see, they didn't

often have their father all to themselves, to

ask questions of.

90

"Why, what a little Dutch girl," said
Father Vedder, " not to know what wind
mills are for ! They pump the water out of
the fields, to be sure ! Don't you know how
wet the fields are sometimes ? If we did n't
keep pumping the water out, they would
be so wet we could not make gardens at
all."

" Does the wind pump the water ? " asked
Kat.

' ' Of Bourse it does, goosie girl ! and grinds
the grain too. The wind blows against the
great arms and turns them round and round.
That works the pumps ; and the pumps suck
the water out of the fields, and it is poured
out into the canals. If it were n't for the
good old windmills working away, who '
knows but the water would get the best of
us some day and cover up all our land ! "

41 Would n't the dykes keep out the sea ? "
asked Kit.

" Suppose the dykes should break ! " said
Father Vedder. " Even one little break can
let in lots of water. The dykes have to be

watched day and night all the time, and the
least bit of a hole stopped up right away,
so it can't grow any bigger and let in the
sea."

" Oh dear," Kat said, " what a leaky coun
try 1 "

She ran near the mill and let the wind
from the fans blow her hair and the white
wings on her cap.

As the great fans swung near the ground,
Kit jumped up and caught hold of one. It
lifted him right off the ground as it swung
around, and in a minute he was dangling
high in the air.

"Jump, jump, quick," shouted Father
Vedder.

Kit let go and dropped to the ground just
in time. In another minute he would have
been carried clear over.

As it was, he sat down very hard on
the ground, and had to have the dirt brushed
off of his Sunday clothes.

" I am surprised at you," Father Vedder
said, while he brushed him. " You are too

92

small to swing on windmills, and besides it
is the Sabbath day. Don't you ever do it
again until you are big enough to be called
Christopher!"

Sitting down so hard in the dirt had hurt
Kit a little bit, and scared him a good deal,
so he said, "No, father."

Then they walked all around the mill.
They peeped inside a door which was open,
and saw the pumps working away.

"Yes," said Father Vedder, "it is nip and
tuck between wind and water in Holland.
Let us sit down here on the canal bank, in
the sunshine, and I will tell you what hard
work has to be done to keep this good land
of ours. And it is a good land ! We should
be thankful for it! Just see the rich green
meadows over there, with the cows grazing
in them ! " — Father Vedder pointed to the
beautiful fields across the canal. "The grass
is so rich and fresh, that the cows here give
more milk than any other cows in the whole
world!"

"That's what Mother says," said Kat

94

v"The Holland butter and cheese are
famous everywhere," went on Father Ved-
der ; ' ' and we have all the good milk we want
to drink, besides. The Dutch gardens, too,
are the finest in the world."

"And ours is one of the best of Dutch
gardens, isn't it, Father?" said Kit

95

"It's a very good garden," said Father
Vedder, proudly. " No one can raise better
onions and cabbage and carrots than I can.
And the Dutch bulbs ! Our tulips and hya
cinths make the whole world bloom!"

" Holland is really the greatest country
there is; is n't it?" said Kit.

"We — 11, not in point of size, perhaps,"
Father Vedder admitted; "but in pluck, my
boy, it is ! Did you know that sometimes
people call Holland the Land of Pluck?"

" I don't see why," said Kat. " I 'm Dutch,
but I 'm afraid of lots of things 1 I'm afraid
of spiders and of cross geese, and of falling
into the water! "

"You're a girl, if you are Dutch," said
Kit. "Boys are always pluckier than girls ;
aren't they, Father?"

"Really plucky people never boast," said
Father Vedder.

Kit looked the other way and dug the toe
of his shoe into the dirt. Kat snuggled up to
her Father and sniffed at Kit.

"So there, Kitl" was all she said.
96

" There 's pluck enough to go round/' said
Father Vedder mildly, "and we all need it
-boys and girls, and men and women too.
It was pluck that made Holland, and it 's
pluck that keeps her from slipping back into
the sea."

"How did pluck make Holland?" asked
Kit.

"There was n't any Holland in the first
place," Father Vedder answered. "There
were only some marshes and some lands
under water. But people built a wall of earth
around these flats ; and then they pumped
out the water from the space inside the wall,
and made canals through the land, and
drained it. And after all that work, we have
our rich fields."

"How does pluck keep them?" asked Kat.

"The dykes have to be watched and
mended all the time," said Father Vedder.
"And the windmills have to work and work,
to keep the fields drained. No one can be
lazy in Holland. Each one has to work well
for what he gets. If Holland should grow

97

lazy, she would soon be back again in the
Zuyder Zee ! So, my children, you see you
must learn well and work hard. And that
is all my sermon to-day."

"It is a better sermon than the Dominie
will preach, I know," said Kat.

"Tut, tut! You must never say such
things," said Father Vedder. He got up and
held out his hands to the Twins.

"Come! we must walk along, or we shall
be late for church," he said. " Here comes
the Dominie now."

There indeed was the Dominie ! Kit and
Kat knew him well. No one else dressed as he
did. He wore a high silk hat, and long, black
coat and trousers, such as city people wear.

As he came along the road, all the people
bowed respectfully; the little boys took off
their caps, and the little girls bobbed a
courtesy. Kit and Kat bobbed and courte-
sied too, and the Dominie smiled at them
and laid his hand on Kit's head.

" I wish he 'd come to see us again," said
Kit, after the Dominie had passed by.

98

Father Vedder was pleased.

" I am glad to see that you love your pas
tor, my son," he said.

"Well," said Kit, " I don't really like him
so 'very much, because we have to be washed,
and recite the catechism, and mind all our
manners when he comes. But Mother al
ways has such good things to eat when the
Dominie comes — does n't she, Kat? — cake
and preserves — and everything!"

" If it were n't for the catechism and such

99

things, it would be something like St. Nicho
las day ! " sighed Kat. " But the Dominie
never forgets ! And last time I could n't tell
what saving grace was ! The cakes are good,
but — "

" Good Dutch boys and girls always learn
their catechism well," said Father Vedder ;
"then they are glad to see the good Domi
nie as well as the cakes. Now no more chat
ter ! Here is a penny for each of you to put
in the bag when it is passed."

He gave them each a penny. Kit put his
in his pocket. Kat did n't have a pocket, so
she held hers tight in her hand.

At the church door they met Grandfather
and Grandmother.

Grandfather looked very fine indeed, in
his black clothes ; and Grandmother was
all dressed up in her best black dress, with
a fresh white cap, and a shawl over her
shoulders. She carried a large psalm book
with golden clasps in one hand, and a scent
bottle in the other. She had some pepper
mints too. Kit and Kat smelled them.

100

They all went into the church together,
and an old woman led them to their seats.
Kit and Kat sat one each side of Grand
mother. Grandfather and Father Vedder
sat on the other side of the church with
all the rest of the men.

101

: '.* Ybii must sit very still and look straight
before you/' said Grandmother.

Kit remembered the peppermints and sat
up like a soldier. So did Kat.'

Pretty soon the schoolmaster came in and
went up into the pulpit. He read a chapter
from the Bible, and then the Dominie stood
up in the pulpit and began to preach. He
preached a long time.

Kit and Kat tried very hard to sit still,
just as Grandmother had said; but pretty
soon their heads began to nod.

Grandmother gave them each a pepper
mint.

They waked up for a minute. But the
Dominie kept right on preaching, until they
were both sound asleep with their heads
on Grandmother's shoulders, — one on each
side ; and if they had been awake to see,
they might have thought that Grandmother
took a nap too.

The sermon was so very long that a great
many people went to sleep. So, by and by,
the Dominie said,

lot

" We will all sing the Ninety-first Psalm. "

Everybody woke up.

Grandmother opened the great golden
clasps of her psalm book, and stood up
with all the rest of the people. She stood
up quickly, so that no one would think she
had been asleep. She forgot that the Twins
were, asleep too, with their heads on her
shoulders. That was why, when she got
up, Kit and Kat fell against each other and
bumped their heads !

103

They forgot that they were in church.
They said " Ow ! " both together, and Kat
began to cry. But Grandmother said "Shi
sh!" and gave them each a peppermint;
and that made them feel much better.

Pretty soon the schoolmaster came along
with a little bag on the end of a long stick.
He passed it to each person. Kit and Kat
each put in a penny, though Kit had a
hard time to get his out of his pocket. But
Grandmother was so upset about the Twins
getting bumped, that she forgot and put in
a peppermint instead.

104

When church was over and they were out
on the street again, Grandmother said,

"Now you are coming home with me to
stay all night."

"Really and truly ? " said the Twins.
"And may we go with Grandfather to carry
the milk in the morning? "

"Yes," said Grandfather, "and Kit may
drive the dogs."

Kit jumped right up and down, he was
so happy - - even if it was Sunday.

" May I too ? - - May I too ? " asked Kat.

1 ' You are a girl/ ' said Grandfather. ' * You
may ride in the wagon."

"Oh, I wish to-morrow would come right
away," said Kat.

Then Kit and Kat said good-bye to Father
Vedder and went home with Grandmother
and Grandfather.

They lived on a little street in the town,
where the houses stood in a row close to
gether. The houses were built of brick and
had wooden shutters at the windows, and
they were so clean they shone in the sun.

105

This is a picture of Grandmother's house
and of Grandmother and Kit and Kat going
in. The door opened right into the kitchen.

Grandmother put away her shawl and
psalm book and scent bottle as soon as
she was home. Then she put on a big
apron and drew out the round table.

She boiled the kettle and made coffee;
1 06

and, when it was done, she set the coffee*
pot on a pretty little porcelain stove on the
table to keep hot. She got out bread and
cheese and smoked beef and, best of all, a
plate of little cakes.

Then they all four sat down to eat. I
will not tell you how many cakes Kit and
Kat ate, but it was a good many.

After dinner, Grandmother put away the
things, and Kat helped her.

Kit sat beside Grandfather in the door
way while he smoked. Pretty soon Grand
father said,

" Bring me my accordeon, Kit/'

Kit ran to the press in the corner. He
knew where the accordeon was kept.

Then Grandfather took the accordeon,
tipped his head back, shut his eyes and
began to play, beating time with one foot.
Kat heard the music and came out too.

She and Kit sat down on the doorstep,
one on each side of Grandfather, to listen,

Grandfather played six tunes.

Then Grandmother said,
107

" Why don't we go to the woods to hear
the band play?"

" No reason at all," said Grandfather. So
very soon they were on their way to a
grove on the edge of the town.

In the grove a band was playing; and
just as the Twins and Grandfather and
Grandmother came up, it began to play the
national hymn of Holland. All the people

tog

began to sing. There were a great many
people in the grove, and they all sang as
loud as they could ; so there was a great
sound. Grandfather and Grandmother and
Kit and Kat all sang too ; for they all knew
every word of the hymn.

This is what they sang : -

Let him in whom old Dutch blood flows,

Untainted, free and strong;

Whose heart for Prince and Country glows;

Now join us in our song ;

Let him with us lift up his voice,

And sing in patriot band,

The song at which all hearts rejoice,

For Prince and Fatherland,

For Prince and Fatherland.

- . We brothers, true unto a man,
Will sing the old song yet ;
Away with him who ever can
His Prince or Land forget!
A human heart glowed in him ne'er,
We turn from him our hand,
Who callous hears the song and prayer,
For Prince and Fatherland,

For Prince and Fatherland.
109

Preserve, O God, the dear old ground
Thou to our fathers gave ;
The land where we a cradle found,
And where we '11 find a grave !
We call, O Lord, to Thee on high,
As near death's door we stand,
Oh! Safety, blessing to our cry
For Prince and Fatherland,

For Prince and Fatherland.

Loud ring thro' all rejoicings here,

Our prayer, O Lord, to Thee;

Preserve our Prince, his house so dear

To Holland great and free !

From youth thro' life, be this our song,

Till near to death we stand :

O God, preserve our sov'reign long,

Our Prince and Fatherland,

Our Prince and Fatherland.

Now, while the people were singing with
all their might, and the band was playing,
and Kit and Kat were having the most
beautiful time they had ever had in their
whole lives, what do you think happened ?

Down the long drive through the trees
came a great, splendid carriage, drawn by

no •

a pair of beautiful white horses with wavy
white tails and manes. Thqre were two sol
diers on horseback riding in front of the
carriage, and the driver of the carriage was
dressed in blue and orange livery.

The carriage was open, and in it sat a
beautiful, smiling young lady. Beside her
sat her husband ; and a nurse, in the other
seat, held a baby in her arms.

in

When the people saw the carriage and
the lady, they waved their caps and shouted,
" Long live the Queen I,"

"Look! Look! Kit and Kat," said Grand
father. "It is your dear Queen Wilhelmina,
and Prince Henry and the little Princess 1
Wave your hands 1 "

Kit and Kat waved with all their might,
but they were so short, and the people

112

crowded beside the driveway so, that nei
ther of them could see. Then Grandfather
caught Kit and lifted him up high, and
Grandmother did the same with Kat.

It was fine to be up so high. Kit and
Kat could see everything better than any
one else there. And when the carriage came
by, the Queen saw Kit and Kat ! She smiled
at them, and the nurse held the little Prin
cess up high for them to see ! Kit and Kat
threw kisses to the little Princess ; and the
Princess waved her baby hand to Kit and
Kat ; and then they were all gone - - like a
bright dream.

But the soldiers were better to see even
than queens, Kit thought. Kat thought the
baby — any baby --was nicer than either.

When the carriage was out of sight,
Grandfather and Grandmother set the Twins
down on the ground. Everyone began to
talk about the Queen, about how sweet she
was, and how good ; and the band played,
and everybody was as happy as they could
possibly be.

"3

By and by it was time to go home ; for,
Grandfather said, " Dutch girls and boys
must learn to get up early in the morning,
especially Twins that are going out with
the milk cart."

So they went back to Grandfather Win
kle's house ; and Grandmother put them
to bed in a little cupboard like their own
at home, after they had had some sup
per. And the last thing Kat said that night
was,

"O Kit, just to think that to-day we
saw the Queen and the soldiers, and the
Queen's baby, and to-morrow we are going
to drive in the milk cart ! What a beauti
ful world it is ! "

Just as they were dropping off to sleep,
they heard a great noise in the street.

" Clap, clap, clap," it sounded, eight times.

" There goes the Klapper-man," said
Grandmother Winkle. " Eight o'clock, and
time all honest folk were abed."

V

THE DAY THEY DROVE THE
MILK CART

V

THE DAY THEY DROVE THE
MILK CART

THE next morning Kit and Kat woke up
very early, without any one's calling them.
You see, they were afraid they would be
too late to go with the milk cart.

But Grandfather Winkle had only just
gone out to get the milk ready, and they
had plenty of time to dress while Grand
mother got breakfast. Grandmother helped
with the buttons and the hard parts.

Grandmother Winkle's kitchen was quite
like the kitchen at home, only a little nicer.
It had red tiles on the floor; and it had
ever so many blue plates hanging around
on the walls, and standing on edge in a row
on the shelves. There was a warming-pan
with a bright brass cover, hanging on the
wall ; and I wish you could have seen the
pillows and the coverlet on the best bedl

119

Grandmother Winkle had embroidered
those all herself, and she was very proud
of them. When she had company, she al
ways drew the curtains back so that her
beautiful bed would be seen. She said that
Kit and Kat were company, and she always
left the curtains open when they came to
visit her.

When the Twins were all dressed, Grand
mother said,

" Mercy sakes ! You have on your best
clothes 1 Now that 's just like a man to pro
mise to take you out in your best clothes
in a milk wagon ! Whatever was Grand
father thinking about I "

Kit and Kat thought she was going to
say that they could n't go, so they dug their
knuckles in their eyes and began to cry.
But they had n't got farther than the first
whimper when Grandmother said,

"Well, well, we must fix it somehow.
Don't cry now, that's a good Kit and
Kat." So the Twins took their knuckles
out of their eyes and began to smile.

ISO

Grandmother went to the press and
brought out two aprons. One was a very
small apron. It wouldn't reach to Kit's
knees. But she put it on him and tied it
around his waist.

"This was your Uncle Jan's when he
was a little boy," she said. " It 's pretty
small, but it will help some."

Kit wished that Uncle Jan had taken it
with him when he went to America. But
he did n't say so.

in

Then Grandmother took another apron
out of the press. It looked as if it had
been there a long time.

" Kat, you must wear this," she said.
" It was your mother's when she was a
little girl."

Now, this apron was all faded, and it
had patches on it of different kinds of
cloth. Kat looked at her best dress. Then
she looked at the apron. Then she thought
about the milk cart She wondered if she

122

wanted to go in the milk cart badly enough
to wear that apron over her Sunday dress 1
She stuck her finger in her mouth and
looked sidewise at Grandmother Winkle,

Grandmother didn't say a word. She
just looked firm and held up the apron.

Very soon Kat came slowly - - very
slowly - - and Grandmother buttoned the
apron up behind, and that was the end of
that.

The Twins could hardly eat any break
fast, they were in such a hurry to go. As
soon as they had taken the last spoonful,
and Grandfather Winkle had finished his
coffee, they ran out into the place where
the dogs were kept, to help Grandfather
harness them.

There were two black and white dogs.
Their names were Peter and Paul.

The wagon was small, just the right size
for the dogs ; and it was painted blue. The
bright brass cans full of milk were already
in ; and there was a little seat for Kat to
sit on.

When the last strap was fastened, Grand
father lifted Kat up and set her on the seat.
She held on with both hands.

Then Grandfather gave the lines to Kit,
and a little stick for a whip, and told him
to walk slowly along beside the dogs. He
told him to be sure not to let go of the

lines.

124

Grandfather walked behind, carrying
some milk cans.

Grandmother stood in the door to see
them off; and, as they started away, Kat
took one hand off the cart long enough to
wave it to her. Then she held on again;
for the bricks in the pavement made the
cart joggle a good deal.

"We must go first to Vrouw de Vet,"
Grandfather called out. " She takes one
quart of milk. Go slowly."

At first Kit went slowly. But pretty soon
there was a great rattling behind him ; and
Hans Kite, a boy he knew, drove right past
him with his dog cart ! He drove fast ; and,
as he passed Kit, he stuck out his tongue
and called out,

" Milk for sale ! Milk for sale !
A milk cart drawn by a pair of snails ! "

Kit forgot all about going slowly.

" Get up ! " he said to the dogs, and he
touched them with his long stick.

Peter and Paul "got up." They jumped
forward and began to run 1

"5

Kit ran as fast as his legs would go be
side the dogs, holding the lines. But the
dogs had four legs apiece, and Kit had only
two ; so you see he could n't keep up very
well.

Kat began to scream the moment that
Peter and Paul began to run. The dogs
thought that something that made a dread
ful noise was after them, and they ran faster

126

than ever. You see, Grandfather Winkle
never in the world screamed like that, and
Peter and Paul did n't know what to make
of it. So they ran and ran and ran.

Kat held on the best she could, but she
bounced up ever so far in the air every
time the cart struck a bump in the street.
So did the milk cans ; and when they came
down again, the milk splashed out.

Kat did n't always come down in the
same spot. All the spots were hard, so it
didn't really matter much which one she
struck as she came down.

But Kat didn't think about that; she
just screamed. And Peter and Paul ran
and ran, and Kit ran and ran, until he
could n't run any more ; he just sat down
hard on the pavement and slid along. But
he did n't let go of the lines I

When Kit sat down, it jerked the dogs
so hard that they stopped suddenly. But
Kat didn't stop; she went right on. She
flew out over the front of the cart and
landed on the ground, among all of Peter

127

and Paul's legs I Then she stopped going,
but she did n't stop screaming.

And, though Kit was a boy, he screamed
some too. Then Peter and Paul pointed
their noses up in the air and began to howl.

Way back, ever so far, Grandfather was
coming along as fast as he could ; but that
was n't very fast.

All the doors on the street flew open,
and all the good housewives came clatter
ing out to see what was the matter. They
picked Kat up and told her not to cry, and
wiped her eyes with their aprons, and stood
Kit on his feet, and patted the dogs ; and
pretty soon Peter and Paul stopped bark
ing, and Kit and Kat stopped screaming,
and then it was time to find out what had
really happened.

Neither of the Twins had any broken
bones ; the good housewives wiggled all
their arms and legs, and felt of their bones
to see. But shocking things had happened,
nevertheless 1 Kat had torn a great hole in
the front of her best dress ; and Kit had

i*8

worn two round holes in the seat of his
Sunday clothes, where he slid along on the
pavement ; and, besides that, the milk was
slopped all over the bottom of the cart 1

Just then Grandfather came up. If it
had n't been that his pipe was still in his
mouth, I really don't know what he might
not have said ! He looked at the cart, and
he looked at the Twins. Then he took his
pipe out of his mouth and said sternly to
Kit,

129

"Why didn't you do as I told you?"
" I did," said Kit, very much scared

" You told me to be sure to hold tight to

the lines, and I did ! I never let go once."
" Yes, and look at his clothes," said one

of the women. She turned him around and

showed Grandfather the holes.

130

" I told you to go slowly," said Grand
father. "Now look at the cart, and see what
yqu 've done by not minding, - - spoiled
your best clothes and Kat's, and spilled the
milk ! Go back to Grandmother."

" But I could n't mind twice at one time,"
said Kit. " I was minding about not letting
go."

" Oh dear," sobbed Kat, " I wish we were
four and a half feet high now I If we were,
this never would have happened."

Grandfather took the dogs and went on
to Vrouw de Vets, without another word.

The Twins took each other's hands, and
walked back to Grandmother's house. Quite
a number of little boys and girls in wooden
shoes clattered along with them. Grand-

mother heard all the noise, and ran to the
door to see what was the matter.

" Laws a mercy me, I told you so I " she
cried, the moment she saw them. " Look
at your clothes 1 See how you Ve torn
them 1 "

" I cant see the holes in mine," said Kit.

4 'But I can," said Kat. And then all
the children talked at once ; and what with
wooden shoes and the tongues all going,
Grandmother clapped her hands over her
ears to shut out the noise. Then she took
Kit and Kat into the kitchen and shut the
door. She put on her glasses and got down
on the floor so she could see better.

Then she turned Kit and Kat all around
and looked at the holes. " O I my soul ! " she
said. She took off the aprons and the torn
clothes and put the Twins to bed while she
mended.

She got out a pair of Grandfather's oldest
velveteen breeches that had been patched
a great deal, and found a good piece to
patch with. Then she patched the holes in

132

Kit's breeches so neatly that one had to
look very carefully indeed to see that there
had ever been any holes there at all.

Then she patched Kat's dress ; and, when
it was all done, she shook it out and said
to herself,

" Seems to me those Twins have been
quiet for a long time."

She went over to the cupboard bed ; and
there were Kit and Kat fast asleep, with their
cheeks all stained with tears and dirt. Grand-

mother Winkle kissed them. Kit and Kat
woke up, and Grandmother dressed them
in their Sunday clothes again, and washed
their faces and made them feel as good as
new.

By and by Grandfather Winkle came
home from going about with the milk. Grand
mother Winkle scrubbed the cart and made
it all clean again; and by noon you would
never have known, unless you had looked
very, very closely — much more closely than
would be polite — that anything had hap
pened to the Twins or the milk cart, or their
clothes or anything.

After they had eaten their dinner, and the
dogs were rested and Grandfather had
smoked his pipe he said,

"Kit, if you think you can mind, I will
take you and Kat both home in the dog
cart." Kit and Kat both nodded their heads
•very hard. " Only, I '11 do the driving
myself," said Grandfather Winkle. And he
did.

He put Kit and Kat both on the seat, and

he walked slowly beside the cart. They
went out on the road beside the canal to
ward home. They got there just as the sun
was getting low in the west, and Vrouw
Vedder was going out to feed her chickens.

*35

VI

THE DAY THEY GOT THEIR
SKATES

VI

THE DAY THEY GOT THEIR
SKATES

ONE morning, when Kit and Kat ran out
early to feed their ducklings, the frost nipped
their noses and ears.

" It 's getting colder every day. Very soon
winter will come," Kat said.

They ran down to the canal. The old
goose and the gander and the goslings —
now half grown — were standing on the
bank, looking unhappy: there was a thin
sheet of ice all over the canal, and they could
not go swimming.

Kit took a stick and broke the ice. Thin
sheets of it, like pieces of broken glass, were
soon floating about; and the old goose, the
gander, and all the goslings went down the
bank in a procession into the water.

139

They swam about among the pieces of
ice for a while, but it was so cold that they
soon came up on the bank into the sun again
and wiggled their tails to shake out the water.
Then they all sat down in the sun to get
their feet warm.

Kit and Kat ran up and down the road
and played tag until their cheeks were
red and they were warm as toast. Then
they ran into Vrouw Vedder 's warm kit
chen.

The kettle was singing on the fire, and
there was a smell of coffee in the air. Vrouw
Vedder gave the Twins some in a large cup.
She put in a good deal of milk and gave
them each a piece of sugar to sweeten it
with.

" Is it Sunday ?" asked Kat. On Sundays
they sometimes had coffee. On other days
they had milk.

"No," said Vrouw Vedder; "but it is
cold, and I thought a cup of coffee would
warm us all up/'

While they were drinking their coffee,
140

Kit and Kat talked about the ice, and what
fun they would have with their sleds on the
canals when winter came.

"I tell you what it is, Kat," said Kit;
" I think we 're big enough to have skates.
Hans Kite is n't much bigger than I am,
and he had skates last winter. I mean to ask
Father this very day."

" Yah," said Kat - - that is the way Dutch
Twins always say yes --" Yah, and let us
be very good and help mother all we can.
I think maybe they will give skates to good
Twins quite soon, even if we are n't very
big yet - - not big enough to be called
Christopher and Katrina."

Vrouw Vedder was heating water and
getting out her scrubbing brushes, so Kit
and Kat knew that she was going to clean
something.

"What are you going to scrub to-day,
Mother?" asked Kit.

"I'm going to scrub the stable," said
Vrouw Vedder. " It is getting too cold for
the cows to stay all night in the pastures.

141

Father means to bring Mevrouw Holstein
in to-night, and I want her stable to be nice
and clean for her."

" We '11 help you/' said Kit and Kat very
politely.

"Good children!" their mother said.
"You may carry the brushes." So they
opened a door beside the fireplace, and
walked right into the stable.

The stable was really a part of the house.
There were two stalls in the stable. Vrouw
Vedder took her pails of water and her
brushes and began to scrub. She scrubbed
the walls, and the sides of the stalls, and the
floor. The Twins scrubbed, too, until they
were tired; and the stable was so clean,
you would have liked to live there your
self.

" Let 's play out here," said Kat. " Let 's
play house."

" All right," said Kit. " I '11 be the father,
and you be the mother."

" But who will be Twins ? " said Kat.

41 Let's get the ducklings,'* said Kit.
142

"They can be Twins, of course," said
Kat. " They are, any way. "

So Kit ran out and brought in the duck
lings. They were so tame they always ran
to Kit and Kat, when they saw them com
ing. They were almost ducks now, they had
grown so big.

" Let 's give the Twins their dinner," said
Kat. So she got some grain, and they both
sat down on a little box and held the ducks
in their laps and fed them from their hands.
The ducks ate greedily.

" You have very bad manners," said Kat.
"You will get your clothes all dirty." She
took two rags and tied them around the
ducks' necks for bibs. The ducks did not
like bibs. They quacked.

" Now don't say anything like that," said
Kat. " You must do just as you are told and
not spill your food."

Then Kit got some water and a spoon
and gave the Twins a drink, but they did
not like the drink either.

"Now we must put them to sleep," said

Kat. They rocked the ducks in their arms,
but the ducks squawked dreadfully.

" What bad children to cry so! "said Kit.
"You can have both the Twins" ; and he
gave his duck to Kat

"You fix a bed for them," said Kat. So
Kit turned up the box they had been sitting
on, and put some hay in it ; and they put
the ducks in on the hay.

Pretty soon the ducks went to sleep. Kit
and Kat ran away to play out of doors and
forgot all about them.

U4

They did n't think about them again until
Father Vedder came home at night with
Mevrouw Holstein. When he put the cow
into the stall, he stumbled over the box. It
was rather dark in the stable.

" Quack, quack!" said the ducks.

Kit and Kat were helping Father put the
cow into the stall and get some hay for her.
When the ducks quacked, Father Vedder
said,

"What in the world is this?"

" Oh, our Twins ! our Twins ! " cried Kit
and Kat. "Don't let Mevrouw Holstein
step on the Twins ! "

Father Vedder pulled out the box. Kit
and Kat each took a duck and carried it out
to the poultry house.

" Twins are a great care," said Kit and
Kat.

"Now is the time to ask," whispered Kat
to Kit, that night, when Father Vedder had
finished his supper and was lighting his pipe.
"You must ask very politely, — just the
very politest way you can."

H5

They went and stood before their father.
They put their feet together. Kit made a
bow, and Kat bobbed a curtsy.

" Dear parent," said Kit.

" That's a good start," whispered Kat.
" Go on."

"Well, well, what now?" said Father
Vedder.

" Dear parent, Kat and I are quite big now.
I think we must be nearly four feet and a
half high. Don't you think we are big enough
to have skates this winter?"

" So that's it I" said Father Vedder. Then
he smoked his pipe again.

" There was ice on the canal this morn
ing," said Kat.

" So you think you are big enough to
skate, do you?" said Father Vedder, at last.
Mother Vedder was clearing away the sup
per. "What do you think about it, Mother?"
said Father Vedder.

"They have been very good children,"
said the Vrouw. "There are the skates you
and I had when we were children. We might

146

try them on and see if they are big enough
to wear them. They are in the bag hanging
back of the press."

Kit and Kat almost screamed with joy.

" Our feet are quite large. I 'm sure we
can wear them," they said.

Father Vedder got the bag down and took
out two pairs of skates. They had long curl
ing ends on the runners. The Twins sat down
on the floor. Father Vedder tried on the
skates.

" They are still pretty large; but you will
grow," he told the Twins. " You may have

them if you will be very careful and not let
them get rusty. By and by we will teach
you to skate."

The Twins practiced standing in the skates
on the kitchen floor; and, when bedtime
came, they took the skates to bed with
them.

"O Kit," said Kat, "I never supposed
we 'd get them so soon. Did you?"

" Well," said Kit, " you see, we 're pretty
big and 'very good. That makes a differ
ence."

" It's very nice to be good when people
notice it, isn't it?" said Kat.

" Yah," said Kit. " I'm going to be good
now right along, all the time ; for very soon
St. Nicholas will come, and he leaves only
a rod in the shoes of bad children. And if
you 've been bad, you have to tell him about
it"

"Oh! Oh!" said Kat. "I'm going to be
good all the time too. I 'm going to be good
until after the feast of St. Nicholas, any
way."

148

Not many days after Kit and Kat got their
skates, there came a cold, cold wind. It blew
over the fields and over the canals all day
and all night long; and in the morning, when
the Twins looked out, the canal was one
shining roadway of ice.

Father Vedder came in from the stable
with a great pail full of milk.

4 * Winter is here now, for good and all,"
he said, as he set the pail down. "The ca
nals are frozen over, and soon it will be the
day for the feast of St. Nicholas."

Kit and Kat ran to him and said, both
together,

" Dear Father Vedder, will you please
teach us to skate before St. Nicholas Day ? "

"I'll see if the ice is strong enough to
bear, ' ' said Father Vedder ; and he went right
down to the canal to see, that very minute.
When he came in, he said,

"Yes, the ice is strong; and we will go
out as soon as you are ready, and try your
skates."

Vrouw Vedder said,
149

"I should like to go too"; and Father
Vedder said to Kit and Kat,

" Your mother used to be the finest skater
in the whole village when she was a young
girl. You must not let her beat you."

They hurried through with their work —
Kit and Kat helped. Then they all put on
their heavy shoes and wraps, took their skates
over their shoulders, and started for the
canal.

" If you learn to skate well enough, we
will take you to town before the feast of St.
Nicholas," said Father Vedder. "But it
comes very soon."

He put on his own skates and Kit's, and
the mother put on her own and Kat's.

" I 'm sure we can do it almost right
away," said Kat.

" Now we '11 show you how to skate,"
said Father Vedder. He stood the Twins up
on the ice. They held each other's hands.
They were afraid to move. Father Vedder
took Mother Vedder's hand.

"See," he said, "like this!" And away

•<- __ A K,

._ -SStess^&O

r*

they went like two swallows, skimming over
the ice. In a minute they were ever so far
away.

Kit and Kat felt lonesome, and very
queer, when they saw their father and
mother flying along in that way. They
were n't used to see them do anything but
work, and move about slowly.

" It looks easy," said Kit. " Let's try it.
We must not be afraid."

He started with his right leg, pushing it
out a little in front of him. But it was very
strange how his legs acted. They did n't

seem to belong to him at all I His left leg
tried to follow his right, just as it ought
to; but, instead, it slid out sidewise and
knocked against Kat's skates. Then both
Kat's feet flew up; and she sat down very
hard, on the ice. And Kit came down on
top of her.

They tried to get up ; but, each time they
tried, their feet slid away from them.

"Oh dear," said Kat, "we are all mixed
up ! Are those your feet or mine ? I can't
tell which is which!"

"They don't any of them mind," said
Kit. " I can't stand up on any of them. I Ve
tried them all ! We '11 just have to wait until
Father and Mother come back and pick us
out."

"Ice is quite cold to sit on, isn't it?"
said Kat.

Soon Father and Mother Vedder came
skimming back again. When they saw Kit
and Kat, they laughed and skated to them,
picked them up, and set them on their feet.

"Now I '11 take Kit, and you take Kat,"
152

said Vrouw Vedder to her husband, " and
they '11 be skating in no time." So Kat's
father took her hands, and Kit took hold of
his mother's, and they started off.

At first the Twins' feet did n't behave
well at all. They seemed to want to do
everything they could to bother them. They
would sprawl way apart; then they would
toe in and run into each other.

Many times Kit and Kat would have
fallen if Father and Mother Vedder had not
held them up; but before the lesson was
over, both Kit and Kat could skate a little
bit alone.

" See, this is the way," said Vrouw Ved
der; and she skated around in a circle. Then
she cut a figure like .this 00 in the ice. Then
Father Vedder did a figure like this CO all
on one foot.

"My!" said Kit and Kat.

" I think our parents must skate the best
of all the people in the world," said Kat

"I 'm going to some day," said Kit.

"So'm I," said Kat.

After a while Vrouw Vedder said,

"It's time to go home. Not too much
the first time." So they all went back home
with their cheeks as red as roses, and their
noses too, and such an appetite for dinner!

But the Twins were a little lame next
day.

Every day after that, Kit and Kat went
out with their skates to the ditches and tried
and tried to skate as Father and Mother did
— they did so want to skate to town and
see the sights before the feast of St. Nicho
las ! They worked so hard that in a week
they could skate very well ; and then they
planned a surprise for their mother.

" If you will watch at the window, you '11
see a great sight on the canal very soon,"
said Kit to his mother one day.

Of course Vrouw Vedder had n't the least
idea what it would be !

Kit and Kat slipped out through the stable
and ran down to the ditch. They put on
their skates and skated from the ditch out
to the big canal.

Vrouw Vedder was watching at the win
dow. Soon she saw Kit and Kat go flying
by, hand in hand, on the canal ! They waved
their hands to her. Vrouw Vedder was
so pleased that she went to call Father
Vedder, who was in the hay-loft over the
stable.

"Come and see Kit and Kat," she cried.

Father Vedder came down from the loft
and looked too. Then Kit cut a figure
like this, C/), and Kat cut one like this, ^).
The round spot is where she sat down hard,
just as she was almost around.

When they came into the kitchen Father
said,

"I think we could take such a fine pair
of skaters as that to the Vink with us on
our way to town 1 The ice is very hard and
thick for so early in the season, and we will
go to-morrow."

" We can see the shops too. St. Nicholas
is coming, and the shops are full of fine
things," said Vrouw Vedder.

Kit and Kat could hardly wait for to-

morrow to come. They polished their skates
and made everything ready.

"What do you suppose the Vink is?"
said Kat to Kit.

"I think it is something like a church,"
said Kit.

"You don't know what a Vink is — so
there," said Kat. "/think it 's something to
eat"

Then Kit changed the subject.

"I '11 race you to-morrow," he said.

" I '11 beat," said Kat.

"We '11 see," said Kit.

The next day they started, all four, quite
early in the morning. Vrouw Vedder took
her basket on her arm.

" I shall want to buy some things," she
said.

Father Vedder lighted his pipe — "To
keep my nose warm," he said.

Then they all went down to the canal and
put on their skates.

"Kat and I are going to race to the first
windmill," said Kit.

156

" I'll tell you when to start," said Father
Vedder.

"And I'll get a cake for the one who
wins/* said the mother.

"One, two, three!" Away they flew like
the wind ! Father and Mother Vedder came
close behind.

Kit was so sure he would beat that he
thought he would show off a little. He went
zigzag across the canal; once or twice he
stopped to skate in curves.

Kat did n't stop for anything. She kept
her eyes on the windmill, and she skated
as hard as she could.

They were getting quite near the mill
now. Kit stopped playing and began to skate
as fast as he could. But Kat had got the
start of him.

" I '11 soon get ahead of her," he thought.
"She 's a girl, and I 'm a boy." He struck
out with great long sweeps — as long as
such short legs could make — but Kat kept
ahead; and in another minute there she was
at the windmill, quite out of breath, and
pointing her finger at Kit!

«I beat— I beat," she said.

"Well, I could have beaten if I wanted
to," said Kit.

"I'll get the cake," said Kat.

"I don't care," said Kit. But Kat knew
that he did.

158

" I '11 give you a piece," she said.

Father and Mother Vedder came along
then; and when Kit and Kat were rested,
they all skated for a long time without say
ing anything. Then' Father Vedder said
proudly to his wife,

"They keep up as well as anybody!
Were there ever such Twins ! " And Mother
Vedder said,

"Never!"

By and by other people appeared on the
canal — men and women and children, all
skating. They were going to the town to
see the sights too.

One woman skated by with her baby in
her arms. One man was smoking a long
pipe, and his wife was carrying a basket
of eggs. But the man and woman were
good skaters. They flew along, laughing;
and no one could get near enough to upset
them.

As they came nearer to the town, Kit and
Kat saw a tent near the place where one
canal opened into another. A man stood

near the tent. He put his hands together
and shouted through them to the skaters,

" Come in, come in, and get a drink
Of warm sweet milk on your way to the Vink."

160

"We must be getting quite near the Vink,"
Kat said. " I do wonder what it looks like I
Do you think it's alive?"

They passed another tent. There a man
was shouting,

" Come buy a sweet cake ; it costs but a cent,
Come buy, come buy, from the man in the tent."

Vrouw Vedder said,

" I promised a cake to the one who beat
in the race. We '11 go in here and get it."

So they went to the tent.

They bought two cakes, and each ate half
of one. Kat broke the cakes and gave them
to the others, because she won the race.

When they had eaten the cakes, they
skated on. The canals grew more and more
crowded. There were a good many tents;
flags were flying, and the whole place was
very gay.

At last they saw a big building, with
crowds of merry skaters about it. Many
people were going in and out.

" There fs the Vink," said Father Vedder.
161

"Where?" said Kit and Kat.

He pointed to the building.

"Oh!" said Kit. He never said another
word about what they had thought it was
like.

Soon they were inside the * ' Vink. " It was
a large restaurant. There were many little
tables about, crowded with people, eating
and drinking. Father Vedder found a table,
and they all sat down.

1 ' Bring us some pea soup,'* he said to the
waiter. Soon they were eating the hot soup.

' ' This is the best thing I ever had, ' ' said Kit.

When they had eaten their soup, they
went out of the building and walked through
the streets of the town. All the shops were
filled with pretty things. The bake shops had
wonderful cakes with little candies on top,
and there were great cakes made like St.
Nicholas himself in his long robes.

Kit and Kat flattened their noses against
all the shop windows, and looked at the toys
and cakes.

" I wish St. Nicholas would bring me
162

that," said Kit, pointing to a very large St
Nicholas cake.

" And I want some of those," Kat said,
pointing to some cakes made in the shapes
of birds and fish.

Vrouw Vedder had gone with her basket
on an errand. Father Vedder and Kit and
Kat walked slowly along, waiting for her.

Soon there was a great noise up the street
There were shouts, and the clatter of wooden
shoes.

"Look! Look!" cried Kit.

There, in the midst of the crowd, was a
great white horse; and riding on it was the
good St. Nicholas himself I He had a long

164

white beard and red cheeks, and long robes,
with a mitre on his head; and he smiled at
the children, who crowded around him and
followed him in a noisy procession down
the street.

Behind St. Nicholas came a cart, filled
with packages of all sizes. The children were
all shouting at once, "Give me a cake, good
St. Nicholas!" or, "Give me a new pair of
shoes ! " or whatever each one wanted most.

"Where is he going?" asked Kit and Kat.

" He 's carrying presents to houses where
there are good girls and boys," Father Ved-
der said. " For bad children, there is only a
rod in the shoe."

" I 'm glad we 're so good," said Kit.

"When will he come to our house?"
asked Kat.

" Not until to-morrow," said Father Ved-
der. " But you must fill your wooden shoes
with beans or hay for his good horse, to
night; and then perhaps he will come down
the chimney and leave something in them.
It's worth trying."

165

Kit and Kat were in a hurry to get home,
for fear the Saint would get there first.

It was growing late, so they all went to
a waffle shop for their supper.

In the shop a woman sat before an open
fire. On the fire was a big waffle iron. She
made the waffles, put sugar and butter on
them, and passed a plate of them to each
one. Oh, how good they were I

When they had eaten their waffles, Father
and Mother Vedder and the Twins went
back to the canal and put on their skates.
It was late in the afternoon. They took
hold of hands and began to skate toward
home, four in a row. Father and Mother
Vedder were on the outside, and the Twins
in the middle.

It was dark when they reached home.
Vrouw Vedder lighted the fire, while Father
Vedder went to feed the cow and see that
the chickens and ducks and geese were all
safe for the night.

Kit and Kat ran for their wooden shoes.
They each took one and put some hay in

it. This was for St. Nicholas to give to
his horse. Father Vedder put the shoes on
the mantel. Then they hurried to bed to
make morning come quicker.

Father and Mother Vedder sat up late
that night. Mother Vedder said it was to
prepare the goose for dinner the next day.

When the Twins woke the next morn
ing, the fire was already roaring up the
chimney, and the kitchen was warm as
toast. They hopped out of bed and ran for
their wooden shoes. Mother Vedder reached
up to the mantel shelf for them. Truly, the
hay was gone — and there in each shoe
was a package done up in paper !

" Oh, he dfo/come! He 0fo/come ! "cried
Kat. "O Mother, you're sure you didn't
build the fire before he had got out of the
chimney?"

" I 'm sure," said Vrouw Vedder. " I 've
made the fire on many a St. Nicholas morn
ing, and I Ve never burned him yet ! "

The Twins climbed up the steps to their
cupboard bed and sat on the edge of it to

1 68

open their packages. In Kit's was a big St.
Nicholas cake, like the one in the shop win
dow! And in Kat's were three cakes like
birds, and two like fish !

"Just what we wanted!" said Kit and
Kat. ' ' Do you suppose he heard us say so ? ' '

"St. Nicholas can hear what people
think" said Vrouw Vedder. " He is coming

169

to see you to-night at six o'clock, and you
must be ready to sing him a little song and
answer any questions he asks you."

"How glad I am that we are so good!"
said Kat.

"We '11 see what the Saint thinks about
that," said the mother. "Now get dressed;
for Grandfather and Grandmother will be
here for dinner, and we 're going to have
roast goose, and there 's a great deal to do."

Kit and Kat set their beautiful cakes up
where they could see them while they
dressed.

"I do wish every day were St. Nicholas
Day," said Kit.

"Or the day before," said Kat. "That
was such a nice day I "

"-^//the days are nice days, I think,"
said Kit.

"I don't think the dog-cart day was so
very nice," said Kat. "We tore our best
clothes, and they '11 never, never be so nice
again. That was because jjw/ did n't mind ! "

"Well," said Kit, "I minded as much as
170

I could. How can I mind two things at one
time? You know how well I can think!
You know how I thought about Vrouw Van
der Kloot's cakes. But I cant think how
I can mind twice at one time."

" I don't suppose you can, "said Kat. "But
anyway, I'm sorry about my dress."

Just then Vrouw Vedder called them to
come and eat their breakfast.

Father and Mother Vedder sat down at
the little round table and bowed their heads.
Kit and Kat stood up. Father Vedder said
grace; and then they ate their salt herring and

drank their coffee ; and Kit and Kat had coffee
too, because it was St. Nicholas morning.

It was snowing when, after breakfast, Kit
went out with his father to feed the chickens
and the pigs, and to see that the cow had
something very good that she liked to eat.
When they had done that, they called Kat; and
she helped throw out some grain on the white
snow, so the birds could have a feast, too.

It snowed all day. Kit and Kat both
172

helped their mother get the dinner. They
got the cabbage and the onions and the po
tatoes ready ; and when the goose was hung
upon the fire to roast, they watched it and
kept it spinning around on the spit, so it
would brown evenly.

By and by the kitchen was all in order,
and you can't think how clean and homelike
it looked ! The brasses all around the room
had little flames dancing in them, because
they were so bright and shiny. Everything
was ready for the St. Nicholas feast. The
goose was nearly roasted, and there was
such a good smell of it in the air !

After a while there was a great stamping
of feet at the door; and Vrouw Vedder ran
with the broom to brush the snow off Grand
father and Grandmother, who had skated
all the way from town, on the canal. When
they were warmed and dried, and all their
wraps put away, Grandfather and Grand
mother Winkle looked around the pleasant
kitchen; and Grandmother said to Grand
father.

" Our Neltje is certainly a good house
wife." Neltje was Vrouw Vedder. And
Grandfather said,

"There's only one better one, my dear."
He meant Grandmother Winkle.

By and by they all sat down to dinner,
and I can't begin to tell you how good it
was ! It makes one hungry just to think of
it. They had roast goose and onions and
turnips and cabbage. They had bread and
butter, and cheese, and sweet cakes.

" Everything except the flour in the bread,
we raised ourselves," said Vrouw Vedder.
"The hens gave us the eggs; and the cow,
the butter. The Twins helped Father and
me to take care of the chickens, and to milk
the cow, and to make the butter; so it is our
very own St. Nicholas feast that we are eat-

"A farmer's life is the best life there is,''
said Father Vedder.

They sat a long time at the table ; and
Grandfather told stories about when he was
a boy ; and Father Vedder told how Kit and

Kat learned to skate ; and Kit and Kat told
how they saw St. Nicholas riding on a white
horse, and how he sent them the very things
they wanted; and they all enjoyed them
selves very much.

After dinner, Grandmother Winkle sat
down in the chimney corner and called Kit
and Kat.

"Come here," she said, "and I'll tell you
some stories about St. Nicholas."

The Twins brought two little stools and
sat beside her, one on each side. She took
out her knitting; and as the needles clicked
in her fingers, she told this story:

"Once upon a time, many years ago,
three little brothers went out one day to the
woods to gather fagots. They were just
about as big as you are, Kit and Kat."

"Were they all three, twins ?" asked
Kat.

"The story doesn't tell about that," said
Grandmother Winkle; "but maybe they
were. At any rate, they all got lost in the
woods and wandered ever so far, trying to
find their way home. But instead of finding
their way home, they just got more and more
lost all the time. They were very tired and
hungry; but, as they were brave boys, not
one of them cried."

" It 's lucky that none of those twins were
girls," said Kit.

" I Ve even heard of boy twins that cried,
when dog carts ran away, or something of
that kind happened," said Grandmother

176

Winkle. " But you should n't interrupt; it 's
not polite."

"Oh!" said Kit very meekly.

"Well, as I was saying, they were very
lost indeed. Night was coming on ; and they
were just thinking that they must lie down
on the ground to sleep, when one of them
saw a light shining through the leaves. He
pointed it out to the others ; and they walked
along toward it, stumbling over roots and
stones as they went, for it was now quite dark.

"As they came nearer, they saw that the
light came from the window of a poor little
hut on the edge of a clearing.

"They went to the door and knocked.
The door was opened by a dirty old woman,
who lived in the hut with her husband, who
was a farmer.

"The boys told the old woman that they
had lost their way, and asked her if she could
give them a place to sleep. She spoke to
her husband, who sat crouched over a little
fire in the corner; and he told her to give
them a bed in the loft.

177

The three boys climbed the little ladder
into the loft and lay down on the hay. They
were so tired that they fell asleep at once.
The old man and his wife whispered about
them over their bit of fire.

"'They are fine-looking boys; and well
dressed/ said the old woman.

"'Yes,' said the old man, 'and I have no
doubt they have plenty of money about
them/

"'Do you really think so?' said the wife.

'"I think I'll find out/ said the wicked
farmer. So he climbed up to the loft and
killed the three boys. Then he looked in
their pockets for money ; but there was no
money there.

"He was very angry. And he was very
much afraid — wicked people are always
afraid."

"Are all afraid people wicked?" asked
Kat. She wished very much that she were
brave.

" M-m-m, well — not always "said Grand
mother Winkle.

178

" The wicked farmer was so afraid that he
wanted to put the bodies of the three boys
where no one would find them. So he car
ried them down cellar and put them into the
pickle tub with his pork."

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" screamed Kat, and she
put her hands over her ears. Even Kit's eyes
were very round and big. But Grandmother
said,

"Now, don't you be scared until I get to
the end of the story. Did n't I tell you it was
all about St. Nicholas? You wait and see
what happened!

"That very same day the wicked farmer
went to market with some vegetables to sell.
As he was sitting in the market, St. Nicholas
appeared before him. He had on his mitre
and his long robes, just as you see him in
Kit's cake.

" ' Have you any pork to sell ? ' St. Nicho
las asked the man.

" ' No,' said the farmer.

" 'What of the three young pigs in your
brine tub in the cellar?' said St. Nicholas.

"The farmer saw that his wicked deed
was found out — as all wicked deeds are,
sooner or later. He fell on his knees and
begged the good Saint to forgive him.

"St. Nicholas said, 'Show me the way to
your house.'

" The farmer left his vegetables unsold
in the market and went home at once, the
Saint following all the way.

"When they reached the hut, St. Nicho
las went to the pickled-pork tub in 'the
cellar. He waved his staff over the tub,
and out jumped the three boys, hearty and
well ! Then the good Saint took them through
the woods and left them in sight of their own
home."

"Oh, what a good St. Nicholas!" said
Kit and Kat. "Tell us another."

"Well," said Grandmother Winkle, "once
upon another time there was a very mean
man, who had a great deal of money — that
often happens. He had, also, three beauti
ful daughters — that sometimes happens
too.

1 80

"One day he lost all his money. Now, he
cared more for money than for anything else
in the world — more, even, than for his three
beautiful daughters. So he made up his mind
to sell them!

"St. Nicholas knew of this wicked plan;
so that very night he went to the man's
house and dropped some money through a
broken window."

"Why did he do that?" asked Kat.

ft Because the man was selling his daugh
ters to get money. If he had money enough,
he would n't sell them.

"The first night St. Nicholas dropped
enough money to pay for the eldest daugh
ter. The next night he took a purse of gold
for the second daughter, and dropped it down
the chimney. It fell down right in front of
the man, as he was getting a coal to light
his pipe. The third night the man watched ;
and when St. Nicholas came, the door flew
open, and the man ran out. He caught St.
Nicholas by his long robe and held him.

"'O St. Nicholas, Servant of the Lord/
' 181

he said, "why dost thou hide thy good
deeds?'

" And from that time on, every one has
known it is St. Nicholas who brings gifts
in the night and drops them down the chim-
ney."

"Did the man sell his daughter?'' asked
Kat

"No," said Grandmother. "He was so
ashamed of himself that he wasn't wicked
any more."

"Does St. Nicholas give everybody pres
ents so they will be good?" asked Kat.

"Yes," said Grandmother; "that's why
bad children get only a rod in their shoes."

"He gave the bad man nice presents to
make him good," said Kit. "Why doesn't
he give bad children nice things to make
them good too?"

Grandmother Winkle knitted for a minute
without speaking. Then she said,

"I guess he thinks that the rod is the
present that will make them good in the
shortest time."

182

The clock had been ticking steadily along
while Grandmother had been telling stories,
and it was now late in the afternoon. The
sky was all red in the west; there were long,
long shadows across the snowy fields, and
the corners of the kitchen were quite dark.

"It's almost time to expect him, now,"
said Vrouw Vedder; and she brought out a
sheet and spread it in the middle of the
kitchen floor. She stirred up the fire, and the
room was filled with the pleasant glow from
the flames.

Kit and Kat sat on their little stools.
Their eyes were very big. At five minutes
of six, Vrouw Vedder said,

"He will be here in just a few minutes,
now. Get up, Kit and Kat, and sing your
song!"

The Twins stood up on the edge of the
sheet and began to sing:

" St. Nicholas, good, holy man,
Put on your best gown ;
Ride with it to Amsterdam,
From Amsterdam to Spain."

183

While they were singing, there was a
sound at the door, of some one feeling for
the latch. Then the door flew open, and a
great shower of sweet cakes and candies fell

184

onto the sheet, all around Kit and Kat!

There in the doorway stood St. Nicholas
himself, smiling and shaking off the snow 1
His horse was stamping outside. Kit and
Kat could hear it.

They stopped singing and hardly breathed,
— they stood so still. They looked at St.
Nicholas with big, big eyes. In one hand
St. Nicholas carried two large packages ; in
the other, a birch rod.

" Are there any good children here?" said
St. Nicholas.

" Pretty good, if you please, dear St.
Nicholas/* said Kit in a very small
voice.

11 Children who always mind their mothers
and fathers and grandfathers and grand
mothers?" said St. Nicholas, " and who do
not quarrel?"

Kat could n't say anything at all, though
the Saint looked right at her ! Vrou w Vedder
spoke.

" I think, dear St. Nicholas, they are very
good children," she said.

"Then I will leave these for them and
carry the rod along to some bad little boy
and girl, if I find one," said St. Nicholas.
"There seem to be very few about here.
I haven't left a single rod yet." And he
handed one big package to Kit, and another
to Kat.

" Thank you," said Kit and Kat.

St. Nicholas smiled at them and waved
his hand. Then the door shut, and he was
gone I

Kit and Kat dropped on their knees to pick
up the cakes and candies. They passed the
cakes and candies around to each one.
Vrouw Vedder lighted the candles, and then
they all gathered around to see Kit and Kat
open their bundles.

" You open yours first/' said Vrouw Ved
der to Kat.

Kat was so excited that she could hardly
untie the string. When she got the bundle
open, there was a beautiful new Sunday
dress — much prettier than the torn one had
ever been I Oh, how pleased Kat was I She

1 86

hugged her mother and her grandmother and
her father and her grandfather.

"I just wish I could hug dear St. Nich
olas, too/' she said.

Then Kit opened his bundle; and there
was a beautiful new velveteen suit, with his
very own silver buttons on it! It had pock
ets in it I He put his hand in one pocket

187

It had a penny in itl Then he put his hand in
the other pocket. There was another penny I

"I'm going to see if there's a pocket in
mine," said Kat.

She hunted and hunted and hunted. By
and by she found a pocket. And sure enough,
there was a penny in that too !

Then some presents came from some
where for Father and Mother Vedder and
for Grandfather and Grandmother Winkle ;
and such a time as they all had, opening
the bundles and showing their presents !

Then Mother Vedder tried on Kit's suit
and Kat's dress, to see if they were the right
size. They were just right exactly.

" St. Nicholas even knows how big we
are," said Kat.

"Oh, I wish St. Nicholas Day would last
a week," said Kit.

"That reminds me," said Vrouw Vedder,
and she looked at the clock. " Half-past ten,
and these children still up ! Bless my heart,
this will never do I Come here, Kit and Kat,
and let me undo your buttons 1"

188

" May we take our new clothes to bed
with us?" Kat asked.

" Yes, just this once," said Mother Ved-
der, " because this is St. Nicholas night."

189

They kissed their Grandfather and Grand
mother good-night, and their Mother and
Father, and said their prayers like good
children; and then they climbed up into
their little cupboard bed, and Vrouw Vedder
drew the curtains, so they would go to
sleep sooner.

" Good-night, dear little Twins/' she said

And so say we.

CAMBRIDGE . MASSACHUSETTS
U . S . A

HO"V5W««T

U.C. BERKELEY LIBRARIES